Skip to main content

Featured Post

2023 - The Year That Was

Places impact you for a variety of reasons. And the same place impacts different people in different ways. This is especially true when it comes to spiritual experiences, where every single person’s experience is unique. And personally, every spiritual experience is unique, the same person can have different deeply spiritual experiences at different places, at different times. This thought has emerged because of my own experiences over the years, but especially so this year, with different and unique experiences at various places I have visited recently. I began this year with a visit to Baroda (Vadodara) with friends. It was meant to be a relaxed trip, a touristy trip, with our sons. We enjoyed ourselves to the hilt, but the highlight of that trip was a visit to the Lakulisha temple at Pavagadh. It was the iconography of the temple that I connected with, and I spent a few hours simply lost in the details of the figures carved around the temple. There was an indefinable connect with

Skywatch Friday - The sun and the fence.....

I clicked this photo last week on my way to the airport.... the setting sun against the barbed wire seemed somehow very poignant..... the pic quality is of course, not all that good, since this was clicked from a running car..... What do you think of it


For more skies around the world, go to Sky Watch Friday


Comments

  1. That is an amazing photo!
    I am glad the sun will last longest!

    ReplyDelete
  2. You have nicely "captured" the setting sun!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gorgeous sunset - and that barbed wire makes it a little sad too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. it's a marvelous photo..i love the barbed wire at the foreground.:p

    ReplyDelete
  5. beautiful fun shot... i finally participated today,after ages!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. That is an imaginative capture!

    ReplyDelete
  7. the contrast of the wire against the sun painted sky is wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I somehow like the wire against the sun setting... :D

    ReplyDelete
  9. Brilliant pic......and a great blog.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Awesome, that a wonderful pic, its come up natural, and thats important.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Beautiful shot Anu.
    There is an award for you in my blog.

    Please check out this link
    http://subups.blogspot.com/p/awards-accolades.html

    Thanks
    Subu.Ps

    ReplyDelete
  12. Beautiful sky and photo! Happy skywatching!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Beautiful shot. As a matter of fact the barbed wire was in focus.

    ReplyDelete
  14. nice pic! why airport? where did u go?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anu - I have seen some of your landscape images, I think you have a natural inclination towards them, you should pursue it.

    The equipment for it is not very expensive, you should be able to get a decent package within 25-30K...Thomas

    ReplyDelete
  16. @Joy: thanks.... you are so right!!!

    @J Bar: thanks....

    @Celine: well, that was my first thought too.....

    @LadyFi: yes,it is.... which is why i so wanted to get it...

    @Luna Miranda: thanks..

    @Regina: thanks..

    @AArti: thanks... oh yes i saw yours too...

    @Mridula: thanks....

    @Laura: thanks...

    @Greg: thanks!!

    @Mo:n thanks

    @Shilpa: it was an amazing sight.....had to capture it....

    @Corrine: thanks and welcome here...

    @Viyoma: thanks.... well, i am happy it came out so with just my digicam

    @Subu: thanks a lot.... for the appreciation as well as the award.... thanks a lot.. shall surely put it up soon...

    @eileen: thanks...

    @PN Subramanian: thanks....yes, it was..

    @usha: not going anywhere... picking up sandhya;s hubby... to go to shirdi...

    @T&S: thanks a lot... am going to get in touch with you when i buy my new camera!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks so much for stopping by. Please leave a comment for me so that I will know you have been here....

Popular posts from this blog

Gokarna Part II – The Five Lingams

We continued our Gokarna trip by visiting four other Shiva temples in the vicinity, all connected to the same story of Gokarna. The story of Gokarna mentions the Mahabaleshwara Lingam as the one brought from Kailas by Ravana, and kept at this place on the ground by Ganesha. (See my earlier post- Gokarna – Pilgrimage and Pleasure). However, the story does not end here. It is believed that, in his anger, Ravana flung aside the materials which covered the lingam- the casket, its lid, the string around the lingam, and the cloth covering it. All these items became lingams as soon as they touched the ground. These four lingams, along with the main Mahabaleshwara lingam are collectively called the ‘ Panchalingams’ . These are: Mahabaleshwara – the main lingam Sajjeshwar – the casket carrying the lingam. This temple is about 35 Kms from Karwar, and is a 2 hour drive from Gokarna. Dhareshwar – the string covering the lingam. This temple is on NH17, about 45 Kms south of Gokarna. Gunavanteshw

Rama Temple, Gokarna

To my right , the waves rush to the shore, eager to merge with the sand. To my left, the same waves crash against the rocks, their spray diverting my reverie as I ponder over the beauty of nature, and wonder what first brought people here. Was it this beauty that encouraged them to build a temple here, or was it the fresh, sweet spring water flowing from the hill here that made this place special? No matter what the reason, I am glad my auto driver brought me here. We are at the Rama temple in Gokarna, just a few minutes away from the Mahabaleshwara Temple, yet offering so different a perspective.

Pandharpur Yatra 2023

The first time I visited Pandharpur was back in 2007 . The names Vitthal and Pandharpur, were just names to me. I had heard of them, but that was about it. Seeing the lord standing on the brick, hands on his hips, was memorable, but more memorable was the sight that greeted us as we walked out of the main sanctum of the temple. In the mandap just outside were a group of devotees singing abhangs , and dancing. This was the first time I had heard abhangs , and even almost 15 years later, I can remember the welling of feeling within me, listening to the songs, and how fascinated I was by the sight of the devotees dancing, lost in their love of the Lord. Over the years, as I have read more about Vitthal, and participated in Ashadi Ekadashi programmes at Puttaparthi, that first experience has stayed clear in my mind and heart. Every time I tell my Balvikas students of the saints who sang of Vitthala, it is that experience that I re-live. I visited Pandharpur again, in 2010, but that experie